The Distressed Poet
1733-1735
William Hogarth serves up a biting satire of the 'starving artist' trope in this chaotic attic scene. The poet, dressed in a shabby gown, scratches his head in frustration at his desk, completely overwhelmed by writer's block while his domestic life crumbles around him. His wife sits by the fireplace looking worried, clutching a black garment, while a milkmaid at the door seems to be demanding payment for unpaid bills. A sword lies abandoned on the floor, a funny reminder of the poet's faded gentility and pretensions of grandeur.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Tate Britain
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